The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c9.61

c9.61

Also Cf. Shākuntalā, i., मृगानुसारिणं साक्षात्पश्यामीव पिनाकिनम् । describe by it the Milky Way which passes over the head of the star of Rudra. Now if the poetic imagination of the author of Mahimna can perceive foam in the Milky Way, I see no reason why the virgin imagination of the Vedic poets should not rise to that pitch. Dr. Haug, speaking of the Vanant Yastha, observes that the constellation (Vanant), by which the Parsi Dasturs understand the Milky Way is said to stand directly over Hell, and further, "the Dasturs are of opinion that this constellation is the weapon (Vazra) which is constantly aimed by Mithra at the head of the Daevas, as stated in the Khurshed Yasht."* Referring to the Khurshed Yashta we simply find that the club (Vazra) of Mithra "was well struck down upon the skulls of the Daevas."† The information given to Dr. Haug may therefore be traditional among the Parsi Priests; but whether traditional or otherwise as it comes from an independent source, it is strong corroborative evidence to support the identification of Indra's foamy weapon, with the stream of the Milky Way in the heavens. With the vernal equinox near the Dog-star, the Milky Way, which then separated the region of gods from that of Yama, could well be said to be over Hell and "well struck upon the heads of the Daevas." Namuchi's legend can thus be simply and naturally accounted for, if we assign to the equinoxes the position which we have deduced from other passages in the Vedic works. I may point out that we do not hereby account for the original idea of Vritra. That is evidently a still older legend. But his existence at the gate of Hell and his decapitation by the foamy weapon—the two chief elements in the later Vedic traditions are satisfactorily explained by placing, as originally proposed, the vernal equinox in the constellation of Orion, and identifying Namuchi *alias* Vṛitra with the constellation of Mṛigashiras or the antelope's head, situated just below the Milky Way.